harry houdini, evel knievel, david blaine, but what separates daredevils from mere stunt men may be the backdrop. the tightrope walker perched other niagara falls was as compelling in 2012 as 1876 or a man-made wonder, a bridge or a building or a pair of buildings. philippe petit, the "man on a wire," whose flight of fancy is all the more poignant because that wonder is gone. like petit, felix baumgartner spent years planning the jump just as others are planning what may be the next great frontier, a journey to the center of the earth, just vern for real to study the origins of life. less than a century ago pilots were daredevils. charles lindbergh and amelia earhart pushing boundaries that now we take for granted. without neal armstrong, there'd be no felix baumgartner. >> that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. >> reporter: of course, baumgartner's leap didn't defy gravity. he submitted to gravity, all the way down. david wright, abc news, los angeles. >> and thank you so much for watching. we are always here at abcnews.com and "nightline," of course, will be here l